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Controlling multiple systems simultaneously with Synergy

Side Effect

Article from ADMIN 01/2010

By Florian Effenberger

The many approaches to managing remote computers include VNC, Nomachine, and SSH. Synergy is a clever tool that does a bit of lateral thinking and connects multiple PCs to create a virtual desktop.

To operate Synergy, you need at least two PCs, each with its own operating system, monitor, and functional network card. The software supports Windows 95 through Windows 7, Mac OS X as of version 10.2, and Linux with the current X server. Prebuilt packages for Windows and Mac OS X are available from the Synergy homepage [1]. An RPM file is available for Linux and can be installed on most popular distributions with tools such as Alien [2], if needed. Some distributions also offer prebuilt packages; for example, Ubuntu Universe contains a package called Synergy.

Test Case

The administrator's workplace comprises a large desktop system running Ubuntu and a small notebook running Vista on the right. To avoid constantly switching between keyboards, the administrator has decided to use Synergy. The admin will work mainly on the large PC, which is the Ubuntu system. In Synergy-speak, this is referred to as the control system; the administrator will use the keyboard and mouse on this server. The other devices are clients.

Configuration

Before you start using Synergy, you need to configure it by editing the /etc/synergy.conf or ~/.synergy.conf text file. The elementary unit is a screen: Each computer belonging to a group, whether server or client, is a screen with a precisely defined position – just like the display arrangement in a configuration with multiple monitors. For each computer, you need to enter into the configuration file the name of the screen, its aliases, and its position relative to other devices – in both directions. Listing 1 contains an example with comments for the test case. The Synergy homepage

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